Kathryn Jones is attempting a selfsupported record.

[Mags]

All,

As typical anytime there is a new and active speed record attempt, a gentle reminder seems to be needed that this forum is not to discuss if this type of hiking is valid. No different than going into the dog forum and complaining about dogs.


If you have concerns or criticisms about speed hiking, please use the Trail Concerns, Issues, and History forum.

Thank you,

Paul

[Rmcpeak]

According to Instragram, she made 41 miles on Day 4. She's got some bad blisters.

Day 1: ~39
Day 2: ~29
Day 3: ~41
Day 4: ~41

Four day total: ~150 miles
Daily average: ~37.5
Projected days = 2190/37.5 = 58.4

[colorado_rob]

You wake up in the wrong corner of the tipi Walter?
Are you miffed you didn't get a sub forum dedicated to uncle fungi who hike with 100lb packs?

Yer a likeable enough fella with some nice enough trip reports many enjoy as they are. And yer ramblings are tolerated here just the same as these trips. That's despite the odds being very high that more folks are likely to take a fast and light trip than adopt yer style of trip. It's just walking... but walking over and over the same tiny patch year after year tends to wear a fair bit of things mighty thin.

This ain't exactly yer first season on whiteblaze here young fella... this ain't nothing new. Can't recollect any one getting on your threads to burn up 20 posts birthing turtles all over it. But you seem inclined to poop right in the center of this camp every time you walk by. I'd ask you to grow up but yer only one sturdy piece of Hilleberg coated nylon away from that long dirt nap as is. I know you tend to make camp fer a few days at a crack but don't it seem past due to shoulder that overloaded mystery ranch an move on?

To to the best of my knowledge nobody is planning an FKT in the Citgo...and you rarely venture much beyond it these days so other than Cyberhiking on WB seems an issue unlikely to effect you personally in anyway. I know you like to load up and cache enough stuff for any possible scenario that may occur but this "problem" seems to be a burden you can safely lay aside. Enjoy yer hike! Or go get a good sweat in, yer getting a bit crusty.

Post nominated for Mini-Pulitzer of the Day.

Yes, definitely! I second the Pulitzer thing.

Well said Bill, and thanks Mags.

I'm usually an eternal optimist, but as far as this attempt goes, I just don't see it happening (success, that is). But who knows, maybe she will grow into her shoes a bit and make a real go at it.

[Nodust]

14 miles behind what she should be averaging.

Her blisters are very bad.

[Rmcpeak]

14 miles behind what she should be averaging.

Her blisters are very bad.

Yeah, I'm rooting for her, but the blister thing really surprises me.

[John B]

Blisters, shin splints, iliotibial band syndrome, etc -- on anything other than a speed hike, they're manageable, but for anyone trying to do a record-breaking run, they’re analogous to carrying a piano up the trail.

I wish her all the best, but she has a lot to overcome.

[John B]

Forgot to say that while she may have slowed a step or two, if I were to bet an amount of money that is significant to me on the one person who could break the Appalachian Trail's FKT, my wager would be on Pam Reed. I've followed her since her first Badwater win ages ago. She's kinda like Mike Tyson -- a deadly combination of highly skilled, fearless, and a little crazy.

If you're not familiar with Ms. Reed, check out her resume: http://www.pamreedultra.com/187-2/

[Colter]

...If you're not familiar with Ms. Reed, check out her resume: http://www.pamreedultra.com/187-2/

The only woman to ever run 300 miles without stopping (2005) !

[kythruhiker]

Following her journey and wishing her the best, but if I were a betting man, this is not where I'd be investing my money. Sounds like she's completely unprepared with no long distance/endurance/ultra resume to speak of, using, in my opinion, junk gear. As someone else mentioned earlier, once she realizes her failures put have put her out of reach of a FKT, what she does next will either earn her major props or no respect at all.

[Just Bill]

We'll see... not a horrible set of numbers overall... Pick any of them- Jen, Matt, Scott, and Karl: all posted at least one day under 30. (though the whites is the better place for that Karl had some very rough days down south)
And perhaps I am as eternally optimistic as Rob and then some.

What I'm always curious about... given the relatively low cost of hiking why we don't see more "warm up weeks". Karl did a dry run this last time but I believe it was his first time employing that strategy. I know in Matt's case it was simply a tight schedule and not an option. But a shake down week to shake off the first week jitters that every significant attempt has seen would go a long way towards making that first official week count. Also regardless of your training or mental fortitude it's pretty hard not to overdo it on the first day... even a 10, 20, 30, 40, 10 (100 mile ish) and a rest day would really help settle in and settle down to a smoother blast off... especially on a NOBO where you need to build a pretty serious lead prior to reaching Maine Junction.

Not saying it's over for this attempt... but also wonder why we never see a "do-over". Yar if you hit it and know for sure it ain't in the cards then head home... but if you came this far and it's just a bad stretch why power through and dig out of your hole when you can just step back and hit the reset button? At the end of the day nobody remembers your start and finish dates- just the final time.

Again you're planning on a (roughly) two month trip and you need to post some good numbers off the line given the current record pace. I don't see the harm in taking a scratch if you do have a rough first couple days/week... or taking a week off if for some reason you did rack up a minor injury, blisters or shin splints coming out a little too strong at the start. Shake it off, rest up a few days, heal up and hit it again. If you're really trying to get it... why not? You were planning on being on the trail anyway so the worst case scenario is you do make it all the way and you're a week or so past your original stop date.

I know that just finding the time to attempt the trail in any fashion is a huge accomplishment but that said what's a week this early in the season really if you don't have a schedule or budget conflict?

[Rmcpeak]

A warm up might have helped with the blisters. She needs a pair of Lone Peaks.

[kythruhiker]

A warm up might have helped with the blisters. She needs a pair of Lone Peaks.

What, Eddie Bauer doesn't make great zero drops? LOL.

[Rmcpeak]

What, Eddie Bauer doesn't make great zero drops? LOL.

Zero drop is cool, but the wide toe box was real wake-up call for my blister nightmares. My pinkie toe got mashed beyond recognition on my first few 20+ mile days. No problems now that I live in Lone Peak land.

[kythruhiker]

Zero drop is cool, but the wide toe box was real wake-up call for my blister nightmares. My pinkie toe got mashed beyond recognition on my first few 20+ mile days. No problems now that I live in Lone Peak land.

I'm using the Olympus 2 now and love them, but they sure don't hold up for many miles, would need a few Bauer backpacks full of them to complete a thru.

[4eyedbuzzard]

According to Instragram, she made 41 miles on Day 4. She's got some bad blisters.

Day 1: ~39
Day 2: ~29
Day 3: ~41
Day 4: ~41

Four day total: ~150 miles
Daily average: ~37.5
Projected days = 2190/37.5 = 58.4

Some observations from someone who she would leave in the dust on day one - probably while I was sucking wind after the first 500 vertical feet:

We here at WB (definitely me included) have been pretty harsh in the past to some of the people promoting what were patently absurd and outlandish proposed hikes. I think it's obvious, averaging 37.5 mpd on injured feet, and with little pre-hike public fanfare regarding her attempt, that she doesn't fall into that group. While she doesn't have a LD hiking pedigree or resume, she's obviously in excellent physical condition and mentally tough.

I wish her the best. It's going to be very difficult to heal those feet while on the move. If you've seen the Instagram photos, they're pretty gnarly. Hamburger comes to mind . . .

I've read a few articles she's written on outdoor subjects. She is a good writer. Regardless of the outcome, I would expect a really good article coming about her attempt.

[kythruhiker]

She just said in an Instagram video that she got a hitch today in and out of town (not sure what town) that saved her 12 miles of hiking - doesn't that invalidate the "self-supported" attempt if you don't walk in/out of towns under your own power?

[Colter]

She just said in an Instagram video that she got a hitch today in and out of town (not sure what town) that saved her 12 miles of hiking - doesn't that invalidate the "self-supported" attempt if you don't walk in/out of towns under your own power?

It seems like it if she is planning to beat Anish's record following her rules:

I formally state my intentions here–as per the protocol established on the main page of this site–that I will be attempting to set a self-supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail beginning in early August.
I have immense respect for the long line of people who have traveled this well-established and historical path in a quest to find their personal limits. In keeping with protocols established by them, and by myself on previous endeavors, I will travel in a self-supported manner.
This means:
Arranging for no pre-planned outside support at any time, and only accepting truly random acts of kindness (trail magic) that come my way.
I will carry all of my own gear and supplies at all times (no "slackpacking" or "muling").
I will walk into and out of resupply locations where I will purchase food and/or collect supply boxes that I have sent to myself.
I will follow the Appalachian Trail and official relocations only (such as the detour around Falls Village, CT), no blue blaze or alternate routes.
When I leave the trail for resupply purposes, I will rejoin the trail at the same location I left, leaving a continuous line of footprints the entire distance.
Never accepting a ride in a vehicle for any reason.
As always, I will respect the wilderness landscape, the lives that dwell therein, other trail users, and the generations of users that will follow by practicing Leave No Trace Ethics.
Per the main page suggestions I will provide a way for the public to follow along with my progress at facebook.com/AnishHikes. Please understand that the posts made there are in NO WAY an invitation for anyone to attempt to help me, find me, join me, or otherwise take away from the nature of a thru-hiker's journey. They are intended to document only, as suggested by this site. I will carry a SPOT beacon, although for safety, its logs will not be publicly available in real time.

I hope in my endeavor to not only bring parity to the male and female self-supported records, but if possible lower it overall. These records are currently held by Mr. Kirk and Miss Thomas, both of whom I hold in very high esteem.

This is my second journey through these ancient mountains and I look forward once again to the joy, struggle, challenge, and beauty of a 2,000+ mi hike undertaken in pursuit of finding and expanding my personal limits.

Heather "Anish" Anderson

[4eyedbuzzard]

She just said in an Instagram video that she got a hitch today in and out of town (not sure what town) that saved her 12 miles of hiking - doesn't that invalidate the "self-supported" attempt if you don't walk in/out of towns under your own power?

The only rules are the ones set by those attempting FKT's. It isn't an organized sport. There's no sanctioning body. Thankfully. Yet... Do we need yet another FKT category? Self-supported while "on the footpath" vs. self-supported including "off the footpath"? I don't know if Kathryn stated she was following Anish's "rules" or not. To my way of thinking, hitching in and out of town is still self-supported, as that's what most all thru-hikers do. But then we wind up comparing apples and oranges to some degree. And how will we handle FKT's when the AT is rerouted, either adding or subtracting miles and/or changing the routing / terrain? What if a hiker is on track to break the record but encounters a "no climb" day at Katahdin? It all becomes a cluster____ after a while. Good thing there isn't prize money involved - it's bad enough with just egos.

[Malto]

She just said in an Instagram video that she got a hitch today in and out of town (not sure what town) that saved her 12 miles of hiking - doesn't that invalidate the "self-supported" attempt if you don't walk in/out of towns under your own power?

While I agree there are no "rules" on the self supported FKT there is a widely held precedent going back to Scott Williamson that defines self-supported as a hike without the use of cars. Every self-supported FKT that I'm aware of has followed the Williamson precedent. Didn't Joey Camp end up in the same boat?

[evyck da fleet]

I'd agree with the no cars. If people came out to follow her and offered to carry her pack for her or wait for her thirty miles down the trail with it that wouldn't be planned either but it wouldn't seem self supported to me.